According to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey hiring confidence is strongest in India, Japan, Taiwan, Colombia and Guatemala for the second quarter, with the weakest hiring forecasts being reported in Brazil, France and Italy.

The survey interviewed over 58,000 employers from all over the world. It showed that 39 of 42 countries and territories anticipate increasing their staffing levels in Q2 2016. Compared to Q1 2016, hiring prospects strengthen in 8 of 42 countries and territories, and decline in 22. Compared with last year at this time, outlooks improve in 12 countries and territories, weaken in 23 and are unchanged in 7.

“We believe parts of the global economy – including some countries in Asia and Latin America – will continue to experience softening as the result of demographic and economic influences,” said Jonas Prising, Chairman & CEO, ManpowerGroup. “Increasing globalization and technological progress are having a transformative impact on societies, companies and workers, and changing the way work gets done. In a labor market increasingly dictated by skills, ‘learnability’ – the ability to grow and adapt skill sets – is becoming a key determinant of success for both businesses and individuals.”

In the Americas region, employers in Colombia, Guatemala and the U.S. report the most optimistic second-quarter hiring plans, while employers in Brazil report an overall decline in payrolls as well as the weakest hiring plans in the region and across the globe.

Source: Staffing Industry Analysts